Why are we here? What are we supposed to do?
Everyone seems to be going to school, starting a career, and then…starting a family. Well, maybe not in that respective order but something like that. Is this what we're supposed to do? The answer to what is our place in this great expansive Oneness, can only be found within our heart. Nobody can tell us what it is. We have to find it.
The good news is, we don’t have to go on this year long expedition or pilgrimage to find it. The answer truly is within. Yes, we could go out on this long pilgrimage and we would likely find what we’re looking for but financially, this is likely impossible for most.
*Izzy was in his thirties and had dreams of living on the open road, eating wild foods, doing odd-jobs, and living simply. This was something Izzy had been fantasizing about for fifteen years. He would make a small steps towards his goal but progress was very slow.
Izzy met a man whom had listened to his dreams of living on the road. This man knew right away that Izzy was searching for something but was struggling to find it. Izzy thought the open road would help him find what he was looking for. And this approach would have likely worked. However, Izzy’s now in his thirties and he’s still just dreaming about it.
“You need to go sit up on the mountain,” he said.
His colorful expression was implying, that Izzy needed to get away from everyone and everything. He told him he needed to sit in one place for four days and four nights surrounded by the privacy of nature. On the fifth morning, he could return to his home.
When Izzy heard this, the prospect frightened the hell out of him. But as the days, weeks, and months passed, he couldn’t shake this idea. It had replaced his regular fantasy of life on the open road. With time, Izzy began to recognize that this idea might not be a bad idea. It still felt frightening as hell but it felt right.
Izzy contacted the man and he prepared him for this mountain experience. He spent four days and four nights on the mountain without seeing or speaking to another person. The silence and space provided Izzy with what he was looking for. In that quiet, he found something that had been eluding him for so many years.
He found out who he was.
‘Purpose’ is a bit of misnomer but when we know who we are, we know our purpose in any given moment. Each person has a unique spirit with a unique purpose. However, this purpose is fluid and dynamic. Purpose is never fixated and stagnant. It changes and grows as we change and grow. So, Izzy did not get the message, “Izzy is to be a shoe salesman.” And then Izzy would find out what it takes to be a shoe salesman, sell shoes all his life, and then retire when he can’t do the work anymore. Thank goodness...our purposes are bit more dynamic and a little less stagnant.
Every moment that passes by in our life is unique to the previous one. Sure, there are some things that keep repeating in cyclic fashion in our life but this is a different topic. We are ever-changing beings in an ever-changing world. We need to be flexible to meet this change and have a clear sense of purpose in the moment.
Knowing who we truly are, strengthens our direction that serves our purpose. When we begin to fulfill this purpose with each passing moment, our life becomes nothing short of extraordinary. Moment after moment, we are left in awe of everything we experience. We swell with peace and love without trying. We feel content, happy, calm, and assured. Living this way of course, requires mastery in knowing who we are in every given moment of our life. Knowing and living our purpose brings us to our bliss.
Most of us don't know who we are let alone our purpose. How can we know what to do if we don't know who we're being. I know this sounds like a whole mess of nonsense but the point is, we are missing the mark. When we're honest with ourselves, most of us have no idea what we are doing and why. Sure, we could say were doing it for the money or livelihood but if we're being honest, this doesn't feel like it's hitting the mark either. Deep down, most of us can feel that there is something deeper pulling on our heart.
Our experience on the mountain helps give us a clearer picture into our heart.
Read this first and then close your eyes and imagine being deeply connected with what’s in your heart in every moment of your life. You may already have an idea what would likely change. It may be sticking out like a sore-thumb in our life. Or it may be deeply hidden, like the way it was for Izzy.
*Names, places, and gender have been altered to respect, protect identity, and confidentiality.